| Fan Fiction |
by Hibiscus
“Collect call, please.” She muttered. The call was put through and half a second later the phone started ringing on the other side. Two rings and it was picked up. A gravelly voice answered, “Hello.”
“I told you to keep your nose of my business,” Ariel bit out, anger making her words short and clipped.
“Is that the way to greet your grandfather?” The voice said.
“I told you to keep your nose out of my business.” Ariel repeated, striving for patience and calm.
“Your name in the papers is a reflection of mine. It is no longer just your business.” Ariel’s grandfather, Edward Lin said.
“Nobody knows who I am.” Ariel was getting frustrated.
“This is the 21st century, how long do you think you can hide your identity?” He was amused. The signature amusement – this was where Ariel had learnt it from.
“I can hide it just fine. Just mind your own business. Leave Rainie Yang alone.” Ariel didn’t like the man. She really, really didn’t like him.
“Well, since you insist, I will back off for now. I am a doting grandfather after all. But if you don’t take care of this, I will, Yi Chen.” He hung up.
Ariel grimaced. No one even knew her as Yi Chen; no one had called that, not since – not since forever. Except her grandfather. Who clung to the belief that he could say and do anything to her and she would let him, in fact, in his opinion, she should be grateful for even a scrap of his attention.
She walked back to the café wondering what exactly to do about Rainie. She presented a complication and Ariel detested complications.
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“Why was Rainie talking about strange men?” Arron looked suspicious. Ariel picked out the celery from her salad and snuck it onto his plate. “Are you cheating on me?”
It was the day after The Great Confrontation as Arron was calling it. Ariel had trudged back to the café to find that Rainie had left in a huff and had told Arron to warn Ariel that ‘this is not over.’
“Does she think she is some gang leader in a gangster movie?” Arron had mused while Ariel had said nothing. Now they were sitting at an eatery not far from the location site of the scene they were shooting for It Started with a Kiss.
“Are you taking advantage of my leniency and sneaking around?” Arron sniffled. Ariel took a bite of her burger, chewed, swallowed and then reached out and pinched him. Hard.
“Oww!” he yelled loudly causing people to look over curiously. “What did you do that for?”
“To see if you were still dreaming.” Ariel said seriously. “Eat up, we need to get back on set.”
“Winnie say anything about the tabloid news?” Arron asked between hasty mouthfuls.
“Not yet. Oh get this, Rosa’s appointed herself as my manager.” Ariel made a face.
“What? Serious?” Ariel nodded and Arron looked sympathetic. “She says it’s in her genes and I told her that as far as I knew her dad was an accountant.”
Arron laughed. “And what did she say to that?”
“She said that she’d break all my teeth if I had any objections. She objected to my objections.” Ariel sighed.
“Charming.” Ariel paid the tab despite Arron’s pouting and they walked up the hill to the shooting location. “Hey, isn’t Chances airing tonight?” Arron asked.
Ariel nodded. “Yeah, the director wants to ‘unveil’ me at a press conference tomorrow.”
“Are you nervous? You can hold my hand if you are nervous.”
“Do you want me to pinch you again?”
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Rainie and Mike fans gathered faithfully at 8 pm that evening. In front of TVs in their own houses or a kind neighbors or a friends. Pubs tuned in to the right channel, online streaming sites were accessed. People were excited and their anticipation wrote the night gold.
Rainie, Mike, Joe and Ethan; the Taichung group were together in a show of solidarity. Location was Mike’s house. Ariel had been invited. She had declined, explaining that she would be doing a make-up lab for her chemistry class that night due to missing the lab earlier because of filming for It Started with a Kiss.
Patience, Rosa and Ceci had settled in the living room at the Palace. This was Step Two of the Great Vengeance Plot.
“Do you have misgivings? Cuz I have misgivings. Lots of them. All in my stomach.” Ceci said to Rosa.
“No.” Rosa replied. “I visited Mina last week. According to her mother she still hasn’t said a word. She still cries herself to sleep. Nightmares cradle her in the night and despair in the day. I have no misgivings.”
Patience said nothing. She settled into her seat and turned on the TV.
The director of Chances, Dean Fang was with his family. His wife sat his side while his elderly parents sat nearby on a loveseat. He had put his young ones to bed earlier. A nervous feeling was spreading coldly across his stomach and he grimaced. His wife squeezed his hand and he glanced down at her, immediately reassured by the quiet confidence shining from her eyes.
Ariel had actually lied to everyone. To Mike, to the girls, to Arron. She had no make up lab to attend. She just didn’t want to see herself as someone else yet again. She sat in an empty playground. All the children had gone home and the emptiness echoed their laughter.
“Who are you, Ariel Lin? Lin Yi Chen?” The darkness robbed the whispers of emotion. “Not Yi Chen. No more. Never any more.”
Faces. Faces – that was Ariel’s specialty. She could be anyone. Your lover, your enemy, your neighbor, your mother, your child, she could even be you. She was a chameleon of the highest order and this revenge plan, true to some extent she was angry, but for the most extent she was playing. Playing at revenge. Playing at life. Ariel didn’t really feel any emotion too strongly anymore. She had never been touched by emotion very deeply since that night. It could surround her, the emotions could drench her and she could superficially revel in them but her core would still remain untouched. Untouched by love, by hate, by jealousy.
It started raining and the night was wet. Ariel swung on the swings, her heels kicking up the damp mud. Maybe she could fly. And then suddenly she stopped. The night called to her. She got up, took a ring of keys from her pocket and spun it around her finger. She walked to the curb where a gleaming black Harley was parked. A group of youths were standing near it, looking at it with covetous expressions which changed to disbelief as Ariel got on it. Ariel was dwarfed by the sheer size of the bike and it boggled their minds that she could actually be the owner of something that big, that dangerous. Ariel caressed the bike like a lover and the boys shivered in response. She put on the helmet and started the engine.
Everyone watched as Zee roared up on the screen. She looked like a wild cat compared to the adorable J.J. Truth be told, all Mike and Rainie fans had formed a countdown, counting down the episodes Zee would die and the ‘real romance’ would begin. There were fourteen episodes to Chances and Zee died at the end of third one. Instant messages had been sent even before the first episode aired, blacklisting Ariel Lin the actor who dared to come between Rainie and Mike. It was a mania, the imagined chemistry between the two, a mania that had spread two years earlier with their first drama together. And then it had just continued to increase and spread and Mike had been helpless but to succumb to the demands of the public. Rainie fed off the attention and had many times hinted to Mike that she wouldn’t mind a deeper relationship, hints that Mike always chose to ignore. She had been spoiled her entire life, by her parents, by her friends, by Joe, by Ethan and he hated to admit it now, by himself. And when she was finally told no, she couldn’t understand it, wouldn’t accept it.
The beauty of Ariel was that when she acted she demanded that you left yourself behind and become the character. So when the public watched, it was J.J who pouted and Zee who won him over. Anna shopped endlessly and threw tantrums while J.J was teaching Zee how to make sugar cookies. Anna screamed at her parents and cheated on her fiancé just because she was bored. And Zee took J.J on a ride for his birthday, winding through scarcely used roads and forgotten streets in a crowded city. The episode showed the lives of Anna and Sam her fiancé parallel to Zee and J.J’s. Their feet whispered to the same pavement, their lungs filled with the same air but they could have been in two different worlds.
And then in the last scene, Anna, Sam, Zee and J.J were at the same club, on the same dance floor. Anna danced with her fiancé, looking at other men. Then her attention was caught by J.J. He swayed on the dance floor, his arms around Zee, his eyes closed as though to savour the feel of her, to prolong and sharpen his perception of her. He was oblivious to anything and anyone beyond her. The episode ended with Anna licking her lips and telling Sam, “I want that man.”
The previews showed immediately after the ending theme and then the credits rolled. At the Palace, Rosa leaned back in her chair. “Wow,” She mumbled.
“Was that really our Ariel?” Ceci asked. “It’s like I no longer know her. I might slip up and call her Zee.”
“She is not who you think she is,” Patience said and Rosa gave her a sharp look. “Is there something you aren’t telling us, Patch?”
Patience picked up her heavy Biology textbook and smiled complacently. “There are a lot of things I’m not telling you, Rosa.”
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Rainie had stared at Mike throughout the entire episode. She was trying to gauge through his expressions the extent of his feeling for Ariel. He was his own worst critic and usually he’d make degrading comments on his acting but this time round he had not said a word. He seemed immersed in the character, so much so that it seemed as though he had forgotten he was just acting.
The thought of losing Mike scared Rainie more than anything else, losing Ethan and Joe would cause the same terror but Mike was different, Mike was hers. She didn’t share what was hers and she was damned if she would let Ariel take him away.
“That was friggen amazing,” Joe stretched. “Good job, both of you.”
“Ariel looked so hot on that bike,” Ethan grinned. It was the wrong thing to say as he realized immediately when Rainie’s mouth turned down.
“Hell yeah. She is very talented. You should see her in ISWAK; there is no sign of that confident Zee anywhere. Very, very talented.” Joe said in wonder.
Mike was still sitting, unmoving from his spot. Then he looked up from the TV and smiled a satisfied smiled. “She is amazing,” he agreed.
“Enough with the praise already, it’s going to make me sick!” Rainie got up and stalked out, upset.
Joe glanced at Mike who shook his head in an emphatic no and then at Ethan who sighed but finally went after her.
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Ariel snuck out of the house next morning when everyone was still sleeping. She had returned Rafael’s bike and since she had gotten her license recently, she was going to drive Sebastian. She patted his bumper and said hello.
Ariel planned to spend the entire day in the library since she was studying for her finals and then it would be summer again. Funny how an entire year had passed. So quick. Ariel switched the radio open to the local station. The DJ was talking about Chances and taking calls from various random people to hear their opinion on the first episode.
Ariel wondered if anyone would recognize her that day. She shuddered. “Don’t forget the objective, Ariel. Exposure, fame, revenge.”
“His, this Ah Cai. I saw Chances yesterday and I have to say that the new chick was hot, what’s her name, Ariel Lin. Do you know anything about her?”
“Hi Ah Cai. Ariel Lin, hmm…This is her first acting role and that she’s from Canada. That’s all right now. What did you think of Rainie Yang’s performance?” The DJ asked leading questions.
“Huh. Well, I wasn’t too impressed with it. Oh I mean, don’t get me wrong and all, I think Rainie’s hot and all but just…well, Mike and the new girl were like whoa…know what I mean?”
“Thank you, Ah Cai for your opinion. The next caller is Jane from Sixth Street. And what did you think of last night’s episode, Jane?”
“Omg, I’m like totally confused. Like, you don’t understand. I love Rainie and Mike together, it’s crazy how much, and it’s like wonderful. But Zee and J.J, y’noe it was a whole new level, you know? Cuz it’s like man, every time they kissed, the earth shook or something. I’m like, so confused.”
The DJ laughed. “Thank you, Jane. Ariel Lin’s first acting role and it’s starring up the masses. Some hate her, some love her but everyone’s sitting up and taking notice. Let’s hear from one last caller before we have the official review.”
“Hi this is Patty. I’d like to say that everyone who thinks Ariel Lin is beautiful needs to go to a mental hospital. She’s so ugly children probably scream when they see her. And how can they compare her and Rainie. Rainie can act while Ariel is probably a sl-” The DJ disconnected the call before Patty could complete her sentence.
“As I was saying, some people really hate her.” He laughed. “Now let’s hear from Justin Ng, our local critic. What are your thoughts on Chances which stars Rainie Yang, Mike He and the controversial Ariel Lin?”
“Hey Ben.” The critic came on air and Ariel stopped at a red light. Sebastian was being a good boy and running smoothly.
“Hey Justin. Regale us with your thoughts, please.”
“Since you ask so nicely. The plot was engaging and the premise seems really interesting and it certainly is different from the host of idol dramas currently crowding the airwaves. And of course, it’s the long awaited Mike/Rainie collaboration.”
“I sense a but, Justin.” The DJ laughed.
“I think Ariel Lin will cause quite an upset for Rainie/Mike supporters. Speaking from an objective point, the chemistry between Ariel and Mike or as we will know them this season Zee and J.J is the stuff history is made of. Mike showed that he is not just another pretty face. I was really impressed by how far he has come in his acting skills. I have to say also that I was impressed by Ariel Lin. For a newcomer, she acts with a lot of confidence and ease. I’ve never had a thing for babes on bikes but now I begin to see the attraction.” Both men laughed.
“That’s a lot of praise, Justin. How come I still sense a but?”
“You know me too well, Ben. I know that what I am going to say next is going to get me a lot of hate mail flooding my inboxes but I have to say it. The only problem I had with the show was Rainie’s acting. It seemed contrived and forced. There will be some who will justify it as the fact that it’s a new role for her, this negative role and she’s unfamiliar with the cadence or the feelings required but she is an actress. She is supposed to become anyone. I was disappointed because I thought that this would be a challenging role and a welcome challenge at that from the cutsie idol roles she has played until now. But she ended up giving a wooden feel to Anna which is a pity because I feel as though Anna is one of those most complex characters in the entire series. This is the main reason I’m giving Chances a 4.5 instead of a ripe 5.”
“Whew. Thank you, Justin for the review. We’ll catch you at the same time and the same place next week. Let’s take a break and listen to Alan Luo croon about his good friend whose music video incidentally also stars Ariel Lin.”
Ariel parked in the university parking lot and as she listened to Alan croon, she smiled.
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“Be nice to the little reporters,” Rosa reminded Ariel that evening at the press conference. They had reserved one of the many rooms in the El Talents Building. Ariel sat in one of the dressing rooms with Rosa hovering beside her. She seemed to be taking her role as manager quite seriously.
“Mmhm.” Ariel was dressed as Zee. Black leather pants molded her legs, making them seem longer. Sleeveless, round necked t-shirt, black of course, black wrist cuffs and fingerless gloves. Her hair had been straightened even more than it already was so it fell in a silky waterfall. Her eyes were heavily lined with black and she was dark. Seductive. And Zee.
“Are you listening to me?” Rosa stood with her hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.
“If I say yes, will you get me some food?” Ariel made puppy eyes.
“No.” Rosa said firmly.
“Do you want me to beg?!” Ariel grumbled.
“Yes.” Rosa beamed.
Someone knocked on the door and Rosa opened it. Mike.
“Fine, I’ll get you food but you owe me your first born child.” With that, Rosa left granting Mike and Ariel privacy.
“That sounded serious. Did you ask her to go kill the president or something?” Mike grinned as he ambled over to sit beside Ariel.
“I asked her to buy food.” Ariel replied sourly.
“Hehe.” Mike laughed. “Let’s start again. Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” Ariel smiled at him.
“We are doing pretty good, huh?” Mike was referring to the ratings. They had debuted at a record 50%.
“Damn straight we are.”
“So a director approached me, asking to sign you and me for another drama…” That was one of the things Ariel liked about Mike. He got straight to the point.
“What did you say?” Ariel waited for his reply.
“I said I’d talk to you,” Mike answered.
“I wouldn’t agree to it.” Ariel was blunt.
Mike looked both surprised and a bit hurt. “Think about it, J.J, I just gave you your freedom from Rainie, from a stereotype, from an unwanted niche. If I sign another drama with you, it will just be like exchanging Rainie with me.”
“But I like you better,” Mike pouted, one of the mannerisms of J.J and Ariel responded as Zee would. She pulled him close for a hug.
That is when Rainie opened the door to the dressing room, saw them in that position and jumped to the completely wrong conclusion.
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A new poster for Chances was unveiled at the press conference that day. J.J stood in the middle, wearing an apron and his usual get up of jeans and a sleeveless t-shirt. Zee sat a bit higher on one side, her legs dangling off the wall J.J was leaning against. Anna sat on the other side, in high heels, bright red lipstick and pearls. There was a smudge of grease on Zee’s cheek. One of Zee’s hands was on J.J’s shoulder and J.J had brought up his own hand to cover hers. Zee was looking off to the side, a wistful and longing expression on her face and J.J was looking straight ahead with a little smiling on his face, his soul satisfied by the contact he had with Zee. Anna had no physical contact with J.J but in the poster she was looking at him with such naked love that it made the viewer a bit uncomfortable. But the viewer would once again look at the entwined hands of Zee and J.J and feel their hearts contract in pity for Anna, knowing what it would take her a while to realize.
The reporters murmured their appreciation of the poster as they settled down. A few minutes later, the cast of Chances, along with the director took the stage. Polite applause sprinkled the air. The scent of hunger, that is, the hunger of the media for delicious stories and scandals was almost palpable. The M.C introduced everyone and the question period was opened. The usual questions were directed to Mike Rainie. About their relationship which Rainie coyly answered was good. Hearing this was usual for the media so they asked the same question to Mike. “We get along well,” he replied shortly.
Rosa peeked into the room from the open door, clearly worried about Ariel’s upcoming question period.
“Miss Lin, have you always been interested in acting?” One reporter finally tiring of the banal responses from Mike and Rainie asked Ariel.
“You could say that I guess.” Ariel replied.
“How did you like kissing Mike He?” Another reporter got into the game, making it more interesting.
“I like it.” Ariel sent Mike a teasing grin which he returned.
“Are you two going out?” They smelled an exclusive.
“I suppose when I’m hungry and if I ask nicely, he’ll take me out for dinner.” Ariel was definitely amused.
“Do you have a boyfriend? Is Arron Yan your boyfriend?”
“I like pineapple the best.” Ariel replied sincerely throwing everyone for a loop.
“Are you a lesbian, Miss Yang? We heard that you were living with your three girlfriends.” The reporters were practically foaming at the mouth.
“Wouldn’t it be more controversial if I was living with my three boyfriends?” Mike’s lips twitched.
“Aren’t you afraid your loose lifestyle will be a bad example to your young fans?”
“Not unless they read trashy newspapers which I take no responsibility for.” Ariel replied rapidly.
“Some people think you look down on Taiwan just because you are from Canada. What do you have to say about that?”
“Nothing. I don’t respond to utter rubbish.”
“We discovered that you spent time with Fei Lun Hai. What were you doing with them?”
“Congratulations on your discovery. I’m sure you worked hard. I suggest you address the question to Fei Lun Hai’s manager. I’m not at liberty to discuss the nature of my association with them.”
“Are you afraid that Rainie fans will try to hurt you?”
“Isn’t it presumptuous to expect me, a first time actor, to surpass a seasoned actress like Rainie?”
“There are reports that you and Rainie didn’t get along on set. Is that true?”
Ariel glanced at Rainie who smiled sweetly at her. Then she looked at the reporter and smiled demurely. “Certainly not. I like Rainie just as much as she likes me.”
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Author's Note: This was a long chapter. A longity long chapter. So I outwrote myself. I wrote this particularly difficult piece for Fire Light and now I can't write anymore. Lol. Well, not right away. So I beg a leave from you. I do. And I miss Kettle. And I go now. Thanks for reading. Leave me your thoughts. Let me know what you think of this chapter.